The new Law on Plastic waste and the PlasticTaxes derived from it are imminent. Although in Spain its application is delayed until 2023, its impact is already becoming noticeable, not only in Spanish territory but also in different countries of the European Union, since the manufacturers of plastic products have been working months, if not years, to adapt to the new scenario that arises.
Find out about the national and international repercussions.
What is the new Waste And Plastic Taxes Act?
The plastic tax has now become one of the greatest challenges for businesses across Europe, as new Plastic Waste legislation and its PlasticTaxes have begun to generate impactful effects.
While any limitation on the use of potentially polluting materials, whatever their origin, always constitutes an excellent initiative in any society to protect the environment and reduce the obvious pollution we live, it is also true that an exhaustive analysis of other aspects that are required, make the impact truly positive.
Although the various Community directives that have appeared in recent years explicitly do not create a European tax on plastics, it is true that the most recent ones encourage the Member States to introduce a new category based on "green" contributions into their national policies, with a considerable impact on tax collection.
The transposition of the entire chain of directives into Spanish legislation gets the Spanish government to propose its Draft Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils by creating two new "green" taxes: the tax on non-reusable plastic packaging and the tax on the deposit of waste in landfills and incineration.
Around this new political configuration of taxes on plastic packaging, a great controversy has been generated: Are the regional measures of the European Union enough to balance the sustainable economy that the Union seeks ?
Faced with the increasingly accelerated climate devastation that we see on a daily basis, the homogeneous implementation of clear policies in all territories and the incorporation of other factors that manage to reduce pollution, seem to be the promising path for realistic effectiveness.
Measures taken in the plastic tax law by some countries
The tax on single-use plastics has impacted different EU countries, which have taken concrete measures in this regard.
> Tax on plastic packaging in Spain
In Spain, the regulation introduces, for the first time, limitations on the commercialization of single-use plastics, that is, plastics that cannot be reused. The goal is the reduction of this material, expecting that in 2026 it will be 50% and 70% in 2030.
Those products on which the law directly impacts in the first instance are: glasses, lids, food containers, cutlery, cotton buds, straws, etc.
The basic intention of the regulation is to avoid the generation of waste that constitutes a problem in environmental policies worldwide due to the great pollution they produce.
In this way, the bill marks a calendar to prevent the high generation of waste in Spain, seeking to reduce the weight of waste by 13% by 2025 and by 15% by 2030, compared to those produced in 2010.
The standard includes a tax on landfilling, incineration and co-incineration of waste. Proper waste management is essential to reduce waste and avoid environmental pollution.
It also foresees the implementation of new separate collections of domestic waste, textiles, among others, which promote recycling and the reduction of large amounts of waste.
The Tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, which will be transferred to the Autonomous Communities in Spain, will be indirect and will affect the manufacture, import or purchase within the EU of non-reusable plastic packaging destined for the Spanish market. It will be applied to both empty and full containers, including also semi-finished products (such as preforms, thermoplastic sheets and others that require one or more phases of subsequent transformation to be used as packaging), as well as those intended to allow closure (caps and others).
The taxable amount is constituted by the quantity of non-recycled plastic, in kilograms, contained in the packaging and the impositive type will be 0.45 euros per kilogram of plastic, which exempt from this tax exports and intra-Community supplies in addition to other exemptions related to the use to which said packaging is going to be destined (medicines, etc)
The United Kingdom, as a member of the EU in 2015, already implemented the tax on plastic bags, achieving a 95% reduction in their consumption in supermarkets.
On April 1, 2022, already away from the EU, the UK Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) will come into force. The tax will be charged at a rate of £200 per metric tonne of plastic if the proportion of recycled plastic contained in the packaging is less than 30% of its total weight. The goal is to make 100% plastics recyclable by 2025.
The plastic packaging tax will apply to plastic packaging manufactured or imported into the UK, where plastics used in the manufacture of the packaging are recycled at less than 30%. It appears to be assumed that plastic packaging does not meet the recycled content test unless you can prove otherwise.
In short, this new UK Plastics Tax Act encourages a levy on plastics that do not include a minimum of30% recycled material.
On February 10, 2020, France published its "Loi relative à la lutte contre le gaspillage et à l'économie circulaire", known as the AGEC Law. This law aims to act in favor of the environment through several measures: the reduction of waste, the promotion of the recycling of goods (circular economy), the reduction / elimination of plastics, the extension of the life of consumer goods to reduce CO2 emissions and preserve biodiversity.
Specifically, the law aims to achieve the goal of 100% recycled plastic by 2025 and achieve zero disposable plastic by 2040.
Later in April 2021 the so-called Decree of the 3Rs, comes to specify the details of the objectives of the Law:
20% reduction in single-use plastic packaging by the end of 2025
100% reduction in "unnecessary" single-use plastic packaging by 2025
An operational recycling channel for all single-use plastic packaging by 1 January 2025
Very important is the chapter on consumer information and the fight against waste. It seeks to promote valuable information that awakens awareness among consumers about the environmental characteristics of certain materials and the importance of caring for the planet.
On 1 January 2022, a consultation based on different criteria is established that will analyse the Eco Contribution in the context of the Extended Producer Responsibility Regime and will be adjusted through a system of bonuses and penalties, based on environmental performance criteria, including the incorporation of recycled material. For example, if the packaging does not contain materials that interfere with recycling, you will have a bonus of 10% of the Eco contribution; if it includes 25% or more of recycled raw material, it will also get a bonus; if the packaging is multimaterial it would be subject to penalty of up to 10% of the Eco...
It is expected that in 2023 this bonus/penalty system will be implemented.
Impact and repercussions of the plastic tax on the world
The world society is saturated with information that, many times, is not complete and usually has a clear intentionality linked to certain sectors that seek an immediate impact.
While environmental pollution is an urgently needed problem, many see this plastic tax as an excuse for fundraising by governments and not a comprehensive, rigorously analyzed solution to benefit the planet.
Salvador Benedito, member of the Valencian Association of Plastics Entrepreneurs (AVEP) has been forceful considering that the measure taken in Spain does not refer to an "environmental impact or life cycle analysis; since in the case of cardboard we have to cut trees to get the raw material; and in the case of glass, the energy consumption for its transformation and management as waste is 10 times greater than its equivalent in plastic."
On the other hand, plastic can be the protagonist of the Circular Economy, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonization thanks to its properties of low melting temperature, lightness, etc.
The main problem of plastic is focused on waste management given that in terms of reuse, more and more companies in the world are betting on the manufacture of biodegradable and recyclable plastics.
The plastic tax has set a clear goal for the industry: the implementation of cost-effective strategies that are careful with the environment and reduce environmental pollution linked to plastic waste.
To this end, it is essential to guarantee viable policies aimed at recyclable, reusable plastic packaging. The present measures, which will be imposed in the future, have to do with:
Reduction of plastics in the packaging marketed.
Waste prevention measures.
Designs that encourage the reuse of packaging
Improved recyclability, including the complexity of certain materials for recycling.
Considering such background, some challenges faced by packaging manufacturers are:
The integration of post-consumer recycled material into the production process. Ecodesign and the search for alternatives to use complex PE with the aim of facilitating its recycling. Implementation of New Manufacturing Technologies that facilitate mechanical recycling to consider the reintegration of recycled material in new packaging. These and many more measures are the daily work of our IDI team at ALCION.
At Alcion Packaging Solutions we develop and control the manufacture of the packaging, from its design to its delivery to get 100% sustainable plastic packaging.
Sustainable packaging is here to stay, and commercial brands can't ignore it! This is a key factor in scaling sales and attracting potential customers. Discover everything in this post!
What is sustainable plastic packaging?
A sustainable packaging is one that has been manufactured with recyclable raw materials according to standards and production processes that are aligned under a fundamental motto: the protection of the environment and the reduction of environmental pollution.
In a world with consumers increasingly aware of the care of the planet, brands have the challenge of maintaining the functionality of their products, reducing the environmental footprint to the maximum, and opting for more sustainable packaging.
The gaze of buyers is not only focused on the product they purchase, but also on the packaging that contains it and this ends up acquiring an important part of responsibility in the consumer's purchase decision.
The hyper-connected world in which we live has driven us to this new concern, because consumers want their favorite brands to opt for sustainable plastics and packaging in favor of the planet.
In this scenario, ecodesign, based on exclusively sustainable development and design strategies, has gained ground worldwide by promoting a new look at packaging in companies, based on reducing the impact at different stages of the life cycle of a package.
On the other hand, government policies have also made their contribution to minimize the manufacture and widespread use of single-use plastics and promote eco-packaging. Laws such as the Spanish Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils, promote green taxes on unsustainable plastics.
Opting for ecological packaging has become the rule whose main target is to use materials that allow them to be maintained for a long time without exhausting resources or causing irremediable damage to the environment.
Today, companies can count on plastic containers made with recyclable raw materials, that is, they can be recovered and reused. Among them are PET and HDPEcontainers.
A sustainable packaging must contain certain criteria to meet its qualification as such. In addition, from the marketing point of view, you must know how to attract the customer and communicate the brand image of the company.
These are the requirements that are essential for a sustainablepackaging to be successful.
Reduction of the raw material to minimize the amount of waste to the environment, and at the same time, improve the optimization of the packaging.
Manufacturing strategies or management processes that promote the care of resources, such as energy reduction.
Simplification of the use of raw materials and / or their unification in order to promote simplicity when it comes to their separation to be recycled.
Adaptability of the design to requirements linked to comfort, internal product and conservation of the packaging to reduce the surplus of materials.
Contemplation of government regulations and certifications of expert organisations in the field.
As we can conclude, a sustainable plastic packaging takes into account factors involved in the economic, social and environmental care. Thus, manufacturing processes are intended to achieve efficient energy consumption, reduce water consumption, reduce raw materials, increase reuse and recycling, becoming in a short time actions that generate great advantages to the business.
Benefits of offering sustainable packaging developed through plastics
Choosing a sustainable packaging, which is optimized, adapted to the product and that respects the regulations of environmental care, guarantees great benefits to companies, directly impacting sales, brand image and cost reduction. Let's look at it carefully.
> Respect for the environment
The most important point of sustainable packaging is that it is environmentally friendly. If you do not contemplate the essential ideas of sustainability linked to the use of sustainable materials and manufacturing processes based on the care of the environment where they are extracted, we will not be facing sustainable packaging.
When companies assume their commitment to the planet and are able to transform the look of the entire company to establish more sustainable processes, they have a huge impact on the environment, with the benefit of becoming an example that help substantially reduce pollution.
> Cost reduction
The cost reduction of this type of packaging is not given by the use of recycled pellets. Unfortunately, and against to what public opinion may think, the price of this type of pellet is even higher than that of virgin pellets.
Opting for sustainable plastic packaging means reducing costs significantly since manufacturing companies in the plastic sector work on continuous development of packaging to reduce its weight. We will use less weight in each container and, therefore, less material. This weight reduction has a direct impact on the optimization of transport costs. It is also important to highlight the use and implementation of new technologies that promote the use of monomaterials, such as plasma fluorination as well as machinery with more sustainable behavior.
An indispensable condition is that sustainable packaging must return to the supply chain through its reuse-recycling, being an option for brands that seek to establish strategies based on giving a second useful life to their packaging.
> Consumer satisfaction
Many studies and market research show that companies that decide to join the green revolution by using sustainable packaging in favor of the planet, are considered by customers as responsible and committed companies.
This increases consumer satisfaction and therefore provides a competitive advantage and brand image.
> Recyclable material
Using recyclable material allows to give a second life to the packaging and to have relevant certifications that enhance the brand image based on a real commitment to the care of the planet.
Advances and trends in sustainable packaging for 2022
The plastics industry has been incorporating new raw materials for years that enhance the benefits of sustainable packaging.
Today, biodegradable and compostable packaging that comes from fossil or vegetable sources and that can be degraded by the action of organisms that live on the earth is a trend. But it is true that the formulations of the products must also be adapted to be able to use this type of packaging.
More and more firms decide to include sustainable packaging to protect their goods and increase the loyalty of their consumers through an attractive and environmentally friendly packaging.
At ALCION PACKAGING SOLUTIONS we have sustainable plastic packaging certified with ISO 14001 since 2018. Our design team works by using ecodesign and analyzing our packaging portfolio for optimization.
Discover our intelligent solutions and start the path of environmental care with a strategic partner.
Our supplier of wooden pallets PRS grants us, once again, its ecological Green Label ecological badge for the controlled reuse and shared use of these pallets that have FSC® certification.
This Green Label Ecological Badge is a recognition of the effort and participation in the supply chain-collection-reuse of this product, which adds more value to the sustainability of our industry and constitutes an active contribution to the circular economy, as well as participation in a network of companies with which we share our sense of responsibility with the Environment, constituting one more way to apply the rule of the three "R’s" in ALCION PACKAGING SOLUTIONS that stands for...
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
Source: PRS
The benefits, in terms of sustainability, of this controlled reuse are undoubtedly,
Reduction of packaging waste
Reduction of the carbon footprint
Promotion of reuse
ALCION PACKAGING SOLUTIONS... for real sustainability.
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